1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method of enhancing wound healing by stimulating fibroblast and keratinocyte growth in vivo, to a method of stimulating the accelerated growth of dermal tissue in a tissue culture containing same, utilizing amphipathic peptides, and to novel synthetic amphipathic peptides for carrying out such methodology.
2. Description of the Related Art
The use of topical antibacterial agents in conjunction with early wound excision and grafting has dramatically reduced the incidence of burn wound sepsis following massive thermal injury.
However, a major disadvantage associated with the use of the most effective topical antimicrobial agents such as Sulfamylon.RTM. and Silvadene.RTM. in burn or other wound treatment, is that such antimicrobial agents are cytotoxic to fibroblasts and keratinocytes. In consequence, these antimicrobial agents, while efficacious to reduce wound sepsis, in fact oppose dermal/tissue growth and regeneration to an unsatisfactory extent.
Accordingly, it would be a significant advance in the art, and is accordingly an object of the present invention, to provide a therapeutic agent for the treatment of wounds which promotes dermal/tissue growth and regeneration, and which may be used in conjunction with the aforementioned topical antimicrobial formulations.
Other objects and advantages of the present invention will be more fully apparent from the ensuing disclosure and appended claims.